Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Our officers work in what some have referred to as a large fishbowl. Everything they do is being observed by passengers. So, when they screen veterans & active military, children & seniors, and people in wheelchairs, people notice. It doesn’t sit well with them and we often hear about it. All wheelchairs must be screened and it's important to remember that some people, including terrorists are looking to sneak things through, by pretending to have a disability.

Lynn wrote the last “Why We Screen Wheelchairs” as a result of a passenger trying to smuggle two packages of cocaine onto a plane. Wherever you can hide drugs, you can hide bombs and other items, so we thought it was a good example to help explain why we screen people in wheelchairs.

In this most recent case, a gentleman came through the checkpoint at Milwaukee’s MKE airport in his wheelchair and whoops -what’s that??? Underneath the cushion of his wheelchair was not one, but two firearms. Our officers found the following:

- One 9mm loaded with 15 rounds and one chambered

- One 32 caliber loaded with seven rounds and one chambered

It turns out that the gentleman didn’t have any nefarious intentions(He forgot the guns were there) but it is yet again another example of why we screen wheelchairs and the people in them.

To help us better understand how to screen persons with disabilities (PWDs), TSA established a coalition of over 70 disability-related groups and organizations with disabilities and medical conditions. These groups have assisted TSA with writing our policies to help us thoroughly screen PWDs while ensuring they are treated with dignity and respect. Our officers are regularly trained on screening people with disabilities.

45 comments:

TSOWilliamReed
said...

First post! I guess everyone is on the other blog about the woman and the baby. Wheelchairs can hide so many things and as a TSO, having to screen someone in a wheel chair is VERY intimidating. The reason is you don't want to offend them, you still have to be thorough yet careful, and EVERYONE in the airport is watching you. The same is said with all persons with disabilities, it is very intimidating. There were a couple of times when I first started that I didn't feel comfortable screening PWD's and had someone else do it for me, eventually I got use to it and now I have no problem screening PWD's.

I don't mind that you screen people in wheelchairs. I do mind when you use overly intrusive measures to screen people that haven't alarmed, waste time with unnecessary re-checking of boarding passess and ID's in jetways, humiliate (remove the nipple ring now!), berate (how much money are you carying), or retaliate against (DYWTFT! Bag Check) people who just want to go from point a to b via commercial flight.

So, glad you found the two guns. That's exactly the kind of job your agency is supposed to do.

"Lynn wrote the last “Why We Screen Wheelchairs” as a result of a passenger trying to smuggle two packages of cocaine onto a plane. Wherever you can hide drugs, you can hide bombs and other items, so we thought it was a good example to help explain why we screen people in wheelchairs."///////////////////////

First off I think we all know that screening has to be done. We know things can be hidden. When prohibited items are found then action must be taken and TSA has done a good job.

However, why are we subjected to the Enhanced Patdown if we refuse the STRIP SEARCH MACHINE yet do not alarm the WTMD, HHMD or cause concern during a visual inspection?

And I agree that if you can hide drugs in something a weapon could also be hidden in the same manner.

That would explain why TSA didn't screen 322 suitcases that were flown from Puerto Rico to Miami, right?

Luckily they only contained drugs and not explosives!

Seems something is wrong with a security plan that doesn't screen everyone equally who enters the secure area.

Guess what? After your agency's actions regarding the Congressman, the woman on the blog, Steven Bierfelt, etc, and your irrational media blitz and character assination obviously coming from Gale herself, you can bet your bottom dollar that we will all be watching you a lot closer starting right now -- and making video and audio recordings.

Of course not. Bob refuses even to answer yes or no questions about whether the strip-search images posted on this blog and at airports are of the same size and resolution as those seen by the operator of the device. So why would you expect him to answer a question that rightly calls him and TSA out on their attempts to make the strip-search mandatory?

Of course not. Bob refuses even to answer yes or no questions about whether the strip-search images posted on this blog and at airports are of the same size and resolution as those seen by the operator of the device. So why would you expect him to answer a question that rightly calls him and TSA out on their attempts to make the strip-search mandatory?

October 21, 2009 4:12 PM-----------

Actually he has, multiple times and he has even posted links to photos taken of the signage in front of the scanners.

Sam Howard said... Screener William said: and EVERYONE in the airport is watching you.

William (and the rest of the 50,000 of you):

Guess what? After your agency's actions regarding the Congressman, the woman on the blog, Steven Bierfelt, etc, and your irrational media blitz and character assination obviously coming from Gale herself, you can bet your bottom dollar that we will all be watching you a lot closer starting right now -- and making video and audio recordings.

October 21, 2009 3:38 PM--------------

Sticks and stones sam, sticks and stones. Firstly your blogger lady has already been shot down for making that whole story up. Secondly there won't be any return story on the senator due to the protection of his political rear end because he was also making a big story, thats how politics work.

Sandra said...hopefully through use of the HHMD initially and not via an initial grope.----------------

Sandra, wheelchairs are made of metal, and therefore cannot be screened using any type of metal detector, not if one actually wants to find something. PWD's know that, and are usually preparred for the screening process. Not all mind you, and certainly not all their companions are, but most usually are. Its the companions that cause the problems for PWD's, most of the time.

Anonymous said... "It turns out that the gentleman didn’t have any nefarious intentions(He forgot the guns were there) but it is yet again another example of why we screen wheelchairs and the people in them."

So if I carry two guns to the checkpoint and claim "I forgot" do I get off scot free?

Tell us what happened to the guy.

October 21, 2009 2:02 PM------------------

Bob was making a joke anon, "Oh sorry forgot I had two loaded guns under my rear, simple misunderstanding!" People always say they forgot they had stuff, kind of like how on cops when the police officer pulls the bag of pot out of the guys pants and he goes "oh uh ive never seen that before in my life thats not mine!"

Sandra said... Here we go again with a thread of self-applause for finding something you are supposed to find - hopefully through use of the HHMD initially and not via an initial grope.

October 21, 2009 4:19 PM---------------------

Its not self-applause its a simple example of one time when someone was caught with stuff in a mobility aid device. Trust me we get knives, guns, and drugs stashed on wheel chairs all the time. If we were going to applaud ourselves this blog post would have about 100 different listed incidents.

How dare you even imply that some people would fake their disability? I'm a Deaf guy. Are you saying that I'm faking being Deaf?

You guys are unbelievable. The gall. *shakes head* Yes, some people are stupid enough to fake a disability to make things easier for them. What's the chance that a terrorist would do that? Up to maybe 1%, if that. Why? Unlike the way you paint it, terrorists aren't hiding in a corner.

Grow up, TSA. I admired you at one point, felt bad for you at one point, but this... this is the last straw.

So if I carry two guns to the checkpoint and claim "I forgot" do I get off scot free?

Depends from state to state. When we find a gun, that's an automatic call to the local police and from there it's turned over to them and state and local laws apply.

In some states, the law will allow to return to it your car, provided you're escorted out (AFAIK, this is the case I believe in Texas, I'm recalling this from memory.) However, in good ole' Mass, it's an automatic night in the pokey.

I used to bring my guns with me when I traveled, and followed the routines that was required to transport them. Except for one time...

There was a lot of stress to get to the airport, and I barely managed to get on board on time. Just before takeoff, it hit me: I forgot to check in my guns, and had them (and the ammunition) in my bag in the locker. Again: Three pistoles with ammo on board the plane, an arm-length away from me, just before takeoff.

Screening would have prevented this. Screening would have made sure that the guns where discovered before I entered the plane. There is a lot to be criticized about the security theatre, but basic screening is not one of them.

What happened in my case? Well, I figured out that telling the stewardess about them would create a lot of unnecessary stress (and delays), so I didn't say anything...

Here we go again with a thread of self-applause for finding something you are supposed to find - hopefully through use of the HHMD initially and not via an initial grope.___________________________________

Yeah Sandra, because TSA always takes a HHMD to wheel chairs. The metal detector works really well when hand wanding a fully metal object.

Sandra said: Here we go again with a thread of self-applause for finding something you are supposed to find - hopefully through use of the HHMD initially and not via an initial grope.------------------------------I doubt if the screener would use a HHMD (hand held metal detector) to do the initial search since the customer was in a wheelchair. . . .Aren’t wheelchair frames and wheel-rims made primarily of metal? Seems to me that to use a HHMD on something that you know is metal isn't going to be really helpful. Sounds like the agent would have to search a person in a wheelchair by hand. Just saying . . .I'm not buying the 'gee I forgot' story either. I think this person figured that the TSA agents wouldn't do a thorough search of a person in a wheelchair and tried to use his/her disability to smuggle a couple of guns on to an airplane. 'Oh, look at poor me in a wheelchair. I'm harmless and you wicked TSA agents wouldn't dare pat down a helpless cripple for fear that you'll get bad publicity.'Am I the only one who remembers that we're at war? Honestly, I think that since we are so far away from Afghanistan and Iraq the American people don't get the fact that we're at war with a sneaky and determined enemy. Hence, we need to have some serious security in high risk places – like airports.Maybe you should look at http://www.icasualties.org/ every day to give yourselves a reality check.Anyway – sorry for the rant, but I flipped over to this Blog after hearing about the Mommy Blogger bru ha ha and frankly, reading all the vitriol about the TSA just set me off since some of the spewers obviously didn’t read all the data or view the videos. I fear for the continuing viability of social media outlets when so many of the participants are 1.) Failing to do due diligence and/or 2.) Flat out lying.It’s damaging to all of us who try to provide a decent product.

RB, try getting your facts straight. If you pass though a WTMD without alarming that means that you don’t have any metal on you. A block of C4 is NOT made of metal; this is why TSOs will pat you down. TSA DID screen the suitcases that had flown out of Puerto Rico; they DID NOT screen the airline employees who had access to the planes. This is why I have stated before that TSA should be expanding the random checks of airline and airport employees to 100% checks of all. The problem is that TSA does not yet have the resources (i.e. money or cooperation from the airline unions) to complete this objective.

Hey Sam, watch everything we do. Watch us like a hawk. You will be able to weed out the bad and sometimes overzealous apples that TSA employs.

On a side note, you will ALSO discover that a few members of the traveling public respond to security in the wildest ways. For instance, I recently witnessed a member of a local city council fly through my airport. He took off his pants in the middle of the checkpoint because (according to him) he found it easier to strip then to take the keys and cell phone out of his pocket. Funniest thing I ever saw. He also stated that he usually has a police officer called on him when he tries to pass thru security. I don’t know what he normally carries but we were able to ensure he had no weapons without ever having to get local law enforcement involved. It is amazing what some people will do for a little attention!

"Its not self-applause its a simple example of one time when someone was caught with stuff in a mobility aid device. Trust me we get knives, guns, and drugs stashed on wheel chairs all the time. If we were going to applaud ourselves this blog post would have about 100 different listed incidents."

"Actually he has, multiple times and he has even posted links to photos taken of the signage in front of the scanners."

This is simply not true. Bob has never once given a direct yes or no answer to the question of whether the strip-search images posted on this blog and at airports are of the same size and resolution as those seen by the operator of the device. Nor has Bob ever seen fit to address the clearly retaliatory and abusive patdowns given to those who decline to have TSA photograph their genitals.

Awesome, just awesome, I laughed until I almost snarfed a piece of gum (not a pretty picture, I have this beard and moustache and....but I digest - hehe)

Sam Howard sez - "Guess what? After your agency's actions regarding the Congressman, the woman on the blog, Steven Bierfelt, etc, and your irrational media blitz and character assination obviously coming from Gale herself, you can bet your bottom dollar that we will all be watching you a lot closer starting right now -- and making video and audio recordings."

Sweet, let me know first so I can give you a shot of my good side... However, per the previous post on here, don't video the equipment screens!

Andy sez - "How dare you even imply that some people would fake their disability? I'm a Deaf guy. Are you saying that I'm faking being Deaf?

You guys are unbelievable. The gall. *shakes head* Yes, some people are stupid enough to fake a disability to make things easier for them. What's the chance that a terrorist would do that? Up to maybe 1%, if that. Why? Unlike the way you paint it, terrorists aren't hiding in a corner.

Grow up, TSA. I admired you at one point, felt bad for you at one point, but this... this is the last straw."

From what I have read, noone implied that someone faked a disability. He was making light of the fact that the person that had the guns forgot them. That being said, some people WILL fake anything to further their agenda whatever it be. That is why all people get screened the same, whether they have a disability or not. The only difference is in the procedures that help the TSOs accomodate someone that has a disability (like not making someone in a wheelchair stand, or making someone with augmentation devices take them off, or medical equipment that is difficult to remove - like several of the shoe/leg brace combinations out there). Noone is making fun or implying anything about fakery Andy, and I hope that you realize that.

There are wheelchairs with seat padding so thick that one could never feel a weapon with a grope unless the passenger were forced to stand up. A HHMD is the only way to find anything metallic that might be under the patient. And don't even bother to argue with me over this - I see these chairs every single day.

TSO Jacob said... RB, try getting your facts straight. If you pass though a WTMD without alarming that means that you don’t have any metal on you. A block of C4 is NOT made of metal; this is why TSOs will pat you down. TSA DID screen the suitcases that had flown out of Puerto Rico; they DID NOT screen the airline employees who had access to the planes. This is why I have stated before that TSA should be expanding the random checks of airline and airport employees to 100% checks of all. The problem is that TSA does not yet have the resources (i.e. money or cooperation from the airline unions) to complete this objective.----------------------------------

Try doing away with the unnecessary and redundent gate frisking of people. Today in OMA there were 3 TSA's checking an occasional id at the SWA gate. I'd suggest the traveling public would be better served by them checking currently unscreened cargo or airport workers.

TSO Jacob said... RB, try getting your facts straight. If you pass though a WTMD without alarming that means that you don’t have any metal on you. A block of C4 is NOT made of metal; this is why TSOs will pat you down. TSA DID screen the suitcases that had flown out of Puerto Rico; they DID NOT screen the airline employees who had access to the planes. This is why I have stated before that TSA should be expanding the random checks of airline and airport employees to 100% checks of all. The problem is that TSA does not yet have the resources (i.e. money or cooperation from the airline unions) to complete this objective.

October 22, 2009 5:47 PM

..................Ok Jacob, I have to ask a couple of questions here.

And I do have my facts straight, very straight.

If a checkpoint does not have a STRIP SEARCH MACHINE and I pass through the WTMD I do not automatically get an "ENHANCED PATDOWN".

However if the checkpoint does have a STRIP SEARCH MACHINE and I refuse that supposedly voluntary mode of screening I automatically get groped by a TSO using the "ENHANCED PATDOWN" which requires touching my genitals even if I don't alarm any other mode of screening.

Explain why I get groped with the most invasive "ENHANCED PATDOWN" screening method even while TSA has published on the TSA web pages statements saying that this form of screening will be reserved as a last resort method.

Now about the 322 suitcases that drug dealers loaded onto airplanes in Puerto Rico.

Those bags were not screened. Try reading the news reports about the event.

The drug dealers had airport access. They brought the bags in, created baggage tags and loaded the 322 suitcases onto flights.

TSA has failed to secure the sterile area of airports and that is why this was able to happen.

We should all be thankful that it was only drugs.

Just imagine what could have happened if just one of those bags had contained an IED.

"The arrest of nine American Airline workers accused of smuggling drugs provides stunning new evidence of major holes in airport security.

The Puerto Rican workers were able to put an estimated 322 suitcases onto American Airlines flights to Miami and New York without anyone knowing what was inside the bags, according to a Drug Enforcement Administration report.

Investigators said the bags were filled with cocaine, but counterterrorism experts say they fear they could have easily contained something more dangerous to the people aboard the flights.

"This is not just drugs that are coming into our country, this is a big hole in our homeland security," said A.J. Irwin, a former U.S. Customs agent who headed a joint terrorism task force for the Justice Department."

and a bit more TSO Jacob, " Irwin said terrorist groups have shown an interest in compromising airline employees, who could be co-opted or even bribed to place packages on flights without knowing what's inside them.

Eight years after Sept. 11, 2001, airport workers are still not screened the same as passengers. At most airports, they enter through separate doors, where they are rarely checked with metal detectors or X-ray machines. Some workers can even drive trucks onto the tarmac through checkpoints often staffed by private security companies, not the government.

"I've always wondered why they would be held at a different standard than what we would be," said passenger Sherri Turpin. "What's the point of all the TSA regulations and rules if they can smuggle over 300 bags?"

....................Seems like TSO Jacob should be more informed about current events before taking me to taks about not getting facts straight.

There are wheelchairs with seat padding so thick that one could never feel a weapon with a grope unless the passenger were forced to stand up. A HHMD is the only way to find anything metallic that might be under the patient. And don't even bother to argue with me over this - I see these chairs every single day.

****************

Do you have any idea what your talking about? Yea the seat has a padding but if your close enough to wand that the HHMD will be alarming because of other parts of the chair..... and when the HHMD alarms, what happens next? A pat down. Get it?

Bob, it's fine to say that you treat people in wheelchairs with respect and care, but as with most things in the TSA, the reality at some airports is quite different.

My friend's elderly father was forced to stand from his wheelchair and make his way unassisted through the WTMD in LAX after arriving on a long trans-pacific flight. Both he and his wife tried to tell the screener that he couldn't walk that far, but they were threatened with "if you want to make your flight, you'll do what we say." He staggered through and his wife was shouted at for catching him before he fell on the other side of the WTMD. The whole family have sworn never to go back to the USA.

You must be really proud of yourselves for treating the elderly and infirm like this. You're doing a great job for the US tourism industry, too.

"Do you have any idea what your talking about? Yea the seat has a padding but if your close enough to wand that the HHMD will be alarming because of other parts of the chair..... and when the HHMD alarms, what happens next? A pat down. Get it?"

Yes, I do know what I am talking about - a wheelchair seat so thick with padding that one could hide a weapon it in and a pat down would not find it. :-)

RBI don't know a whole lot about the 322 bags. But what it sounds like is that they were never presented to TSA to screen. Unfortunately if they brought those into the secure area through other areas not controlled by TSA then TSA would never have a chance to screen. This may sound like a cop out but if by procedure we are not required to check something, which in this case it would have been the airport police and airport security's responsibility for insuring proper procedures were followed then TSA is not at fault. However this does make a strong case for your's, mine and others argument that 100% screening should be done on all who enter the secure and sterile areas of the airport. Keep up the argument and start focusing it towards Congress, this way it's not just us at TSA asking for this to happen, because we have been.

SandraThere are certain criteria which I can't go into that require additional testing on those wheelchairs with thick padding. So if they are too thick to find things with a pat-down the additional screening will find it.

ANDYI appologize if you're getting the wrong idea of TSA's view toward people with disabilities. I'm sure no one intended to insinuate that persons with disabilities are faking it. But the truth of the matter is that terrorist have and are considering the use of PWD along singal parents and a lot of other area that we as americans consider sacred to perform thier maddness. This was posted to re-assure people that we are not evil hearted people and just want to make everyones life miserable, but that the threat come from all areas and we must screen to minimize those threats.

TSM/West said... RBI don't know a whole lot about the 322 bags. But what it sounds like is that they were never presented to TSA to screen. Unfortunately if they brought those into the secure area through other areas not controlled by TSA then TSA would never have a chance to screen. This may sound like a cop out but if by procedure we are not required to check something, which in this case it would have been the airport police and airport security's responsibility for insuring proper procedures were followed then TSA is not at fault. However this does make a strong case for your's, mine and others argument that 100% screening should be done on all who enter the secure and sterile areas of the airport. Keep up the argument and start focusing it towards Congress, this way it's not just us at TSA asking for this to happen, because we have been...............No West I am going to focus on TSA.

The Congress gave TSA the ability to create any rule needed to ensure safety of transportation systems.

TSA has the authority today, right now, to require screening of everyone and everything.

The 322 bags were loaded on to commercial passenger aircraft. They did fly to Miami and New York.

FACT: TSA did not screen everything loaded on those aircraft.

That is clearly a TSA failure.

Sorry, TSA and its employees have to accept responsibility for their failure to secure commercial aviation some 8 years after the creation of TSA.

I'm glad that people exercise their rights to freely express themselves via use of this blog, and I'm glad that TSA created this blog for the masses to speak their mind and debate the various topic I've seen on here.

With that being said, after reading many posts on here and viewing the comments, it looks like a bit of a circus. Some of the comments on these posts are beyond extreme, and its obvious that some people have a pure hatred for this agency. Some people are angry for various reasons but don't understand the details of airport security operations, while others sound well-versed and knowledgeable (on both sides of the argument).

Just thought I'd make a general comment, viewing this from afar. Reading this blog is almost as good as a suspense novel! Maybe the IRS Blog will be next? Oh man, I can only imagine what that would look like.....

Bah, I get censored for talking about how airport security procedures have no sense or internal consistency. This one will probably get censored too.

I just want to point out that for someone attempting to bring guns through the checkpoint, one with a chambered round, the penalty is what, having to leave your guns at home? That's it?

Meanwhile, Star Simpson walks into an airport with a few LEDs on her sweatshirt and gets held at gunpoint, jailed, and then forced to apologize to the people that put her through that.

We need a bill of passenger rights, we need what is allowed and what is not spelled out clearly, as well as the penalties for breaking the rules. We need a document to stick in TSO faces when they try to trample our rights. A complaint form is not good enough.

Good catch with the guns, but stop tooting your own horns, your performance does NOT merit it.

I see all these posts about the person in the wheelchair automatically needing to have a patdown. Why not just have a 100% non metal seat that either the individual can move themselves to or move to with assistance so a wand scanner works. Or even a non metallic wheelchair so they can just go through the normal scanners.

I have never had to deal with this so maybe it is like that at some airports, but it is just an idea.

To this day, I still get paranoid by people passing through security in wheelchairs. I understand the disability, but there are so many hiding places (especially if the person does not have to move from the chair).

I would fully support some sort of complete image scanner that was used for disabled travelers. I think it could benefit the safety of everyone.